1948 in music

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Events

• May 20 - The Second International Congress of Composers and Music Critics 1948 opens in Prague.
• June 5 - Opening of the first Aldeburgh Festival, founded by Benjamin Britten, Eric Crozier and Peter Pears.
• December - Perry Como has his first television Christmas Special.
• Al Jolson is voted the "Most Popular Male Vocalist" of the year by a Variety poll.
• Patti Page becomes the first artist to use the technique of multi-track overdubbing (later popularized by Les Paul & Mary Ford).
• Columbia Records introduces the 33⅓ rpm LP (“long playing”) record at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, featuring 25 minutes of music per side, compared to the four minutes per side of the 78 rpm record, the previous standard for gramophone records.
• Otis Rush moves to Chicago and begins his musical career.
• Igor Stravinsky and Robert Craft meet for the first time.
• Quartetto Cetra dubs the choruses for the Italian release of Disney's Dumbo.
• Gabriel von Wayditch begins work on his last opera The Heretics, which is still not completed when he dies in 1969. However, he completed the piano score of the massive 8.5 hour work, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest opera.

Albums released

• The Jolson Album Vol. 2 - Al Jolson
• Christmas Songs By Sinatra - Frank Sinatra

Biggest hit singles

The following singles achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1948.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	Pee Wee Hunt	Twelfth Street Rag	1948		US 1940s 1 - Jul 1948, US 1 for 8 weeks Aug 1948, Peel list 1 of 1947, US BB 4 of 1948, POP 7 of 1948, RYM 20 of 1948
2	Art Mooney	I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover	1948		US 1940s 1 - Jan 1948, US BB 1 of 1948, US 1 for 3 weeks Feb 1948, POP 1 of 1948
3	Nat King Cole	Nature Boy	1948		US 1940s 1 - Apr 1948, US 1 for 7 weeks May 1948, US BB 9 of 1948, RYM 9 of 1948, POP 17 of 1948, Europe 90 of the 1940s, Acclaimed 1793
4	Dinah Shore	Buttons & Bows	1948		US 1940s 1 - Oct 1948, US 1 for 10 weeks Nov 1948, US BB 3 of 1948, POP 3 of 1948, Europe 91 of the 1940s, RYM 102 of 1948
5	Kay Kyser	The Woody Woodpecker Song	1948		US 1940s 1 - Jun 1948, US 1 for 6 weeks Jul 1948, US BB 13 of 1948, POP 21 of 1948, Europe 76 of the 1940s, RYM 95 of 1948

Top hits on record

• "Buttons and Bows" - Dinah Shore
• "Confess" recorded by
  • Doris Day & Buddy Clark
  • Patti Page (the first multi-tracked song)
• "Cool Water" - Vaughn Monroe & The Sons of the Pioneers
• "Deck Of Cards" - Phil Harris
• "Don't Have To Tell Nobody" - Frankie Laine
• "Gloria" - The Mills Brothers
• "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue" recorded by:
  • Gordon MacRae
  • The Harmonicats
  • Jack Emerson
• "I Love You So Much (It Hurts Me)" - The Mills Brothers
• "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" recorded by:
  • Frankie Laine
  • Art Mooney
• "I'm My Own Grandpa" - Guy Lombardo & The Guy Lombardo Trio
• "Is It True What They Say About Dixie" - Al Jolson & The Mills Brothers
• "It's Magic" - Doris Day
• "Little White Lies" - Dick Haymes & The Four Hits And A Miss
• "Love Somebody" - Doris Day & Buddy Clark
• "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)" - Peggy Lee
• "Monday Again" - Frankie Laine
• "Move On Up A Little Higher" - Mahalia Jackson
• "My Happiness" recorded by:
  • The Pied Pipers
  • Jon and Sondra Steele
• "Nature Boy" recorded by:
  • Nat King Cole
  • Sarah Vaughan
• "(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China" - Kay Kyser, Harry Babbitt & Gloria Wood
• "Red River Valley" - Jo Stafford
• "Red Roses For A Blue Lady" - Vaughn Monroe
• "Rosetta" - Frankie Laine
• "So Tired" - Russ Morgan
• "Someday You'll Want Me To Want You" - Vaughn Monroe
• "The Things We Did Last Summer" - Georgia Gibbs
• "A Tree In the Meadow" - Margaret Whiting
• "Twelfth Street Rag" - Pee Wee Hunt
• "Underneath the Arches" - Andrews Sisters
• "What Could Be Sweeter" - Frankie Laine
• "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" - Georgia Gibbs
• "Woody Woodpecker" - Kay Kyser, Harry Babbitt & Gloria Wood
• "You Call Everybody Darlin'" - Al Trace
• "You Can't Be True, Dear" - Ken Griffin

Published popular music

Songwriter Irving Berlin in 1948

• "'A' — You're Adorable" w.m. Buddy Kaye, Fred Wise & Sidney Lippman
• "Always True to You in My Fashion" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lisa Kirk in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Performed in the film version by Ann Miller and Tommy Rall
• "Another Op'nin', Another Show" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Annabelle Hill and the ensemble in the musical Kiss Me, Kate
• "Baby, It's Cold Outside" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Be A Clown" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in the film The Pirate
• "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo (The Magic Song)" w.m. Mack David, Al Hoffman & Jerry Livingston
• "Black Coffee" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sonny Burke
• "Black Market" w.m. Frederick Hollander
• "Blue Christmas" w.m. Billy Hayes & Jay Johnson
• "The Blue Skirt Waltz" w. Mitchell Parish m. Vaclav Blaha
• "Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes" w.m. Oakley Haldeman, Al Trace & Jimmy Lee
• "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Harry Clark and Jack Diamond in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Memorably Performed in the film version by Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore.
• "Busy Line" Semes, Stanton
• "Candy Kisses" w.m. George Morgan
• "Careless Hands" w. Bob Hilliard m. Carl Sigman
• "Comme Ci, Comme Ça" w. (Eng) Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer (Fr) Pierre Dudan m. Bruno Coquatrix
• "A Couple Of Swells" w.m. Irving Berlin. Introduced by Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in the film Easter Parade
• "The Deck Of Cards" w.m. T. Texas Tyler
• "Don't Look Now But My Heart Is Showing" w. Ann Ronell m. Kurt Weill from the film version of One Touch of Venus
• "Far Away Places" w.m. Joan Whitney & Alex Kramer
• "Forever And Ever" w. (Eng) Malia Rosa (Ger) Franz Winkler m. Franz Winkler
• "Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys" w.m. Ralph Blane
• "Hair Of Gold, Eyes Of Blue" w.m. Sunny Skylar
• "Hang On The Bell, Nellie" w.m. Tommie Connor, Clive Erard & Ross Parker
• "Hooray for Love" w. Leo Robin m. Harold Arlen. Introduced by Tony Martin in the film Casbah
• "I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" w.m. Cole Porter. Introduced by Patricia Morison in the musical Kiss Me Kate.
• "I'm Beginning To Miss You" w.m. Irving Berlin
• "I've Come To Wive It Wealthily In Padua" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Alfred Drake in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Sung in the film version by Howard Keel.
• "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" w.m. Fred Heatherton
• "Make A Miracle" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Ray Bolger and Allyn McLerie in the musical Where's Charley?
• "My Darling, My Darling" w.m. Frank Loesser. Introduced in the musical Where's Charley? by Byron Palmer and Doretta Morrow
• "My Happiness" w. Betty Peterson m. Borney Bergantine
• "N'yot N'yow (The Pussycat Song)" w.m. Dick Manning
• "O Mein Papa" w.m. Paul Burkhard
• "Once In Love With Amy" w.m. Frank Loesser
• "Pecos Bill" w. Johnny Lange m. Eliot Daniel
• "Powder Your Face With Sunshine" w.m. Carmen Lombardo & Stanley Rochinski
• "Red Roses For A Blue Lady" w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
• "Say Something Sweet" w.m. Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett
• "Shoes With Wings On" w. Ira Gershwin m. Harry Warren
• "So In Love" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Patricia Morison in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Performed in the film version by Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel.
• "Sunflower" Mack David
• "Tennessee Waltz" w.m. Redd Stewart & Pee Wee King
• "The Three Bells" w. (Eng) Bert Reisfeld m. Jean Villard Gilles
• "Time Out For Tears" w.m. Abe Schiff & Irving Berman
• "Tom, Dick or Harry" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lisa Kirk, Harold Lang, Edwin Clay and Charles Wood in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Sung in the film version by Ann Miller, Tommy Rall, Bobby Van and Bob Fosse.
• "Too Darn Hot" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lorenzo Fuller, Fred Davis and Eddie Sledge in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Ann Miller sang and danced the number in the film version.
• "A Tree In The Meadow" w.m. Billy Reid
• "Where Is The Life That Late I Led?" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Alfred Drake in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Sung by Howard Keel in the film version.
• "Why Can't You Behave?" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Performed by Ann Miller in the film version.
• "Wunderbar" w.m. Cole Porter introduced by Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison in the musical Kiss Me, Kate. Performed by Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson.
• "You Came A Long Way From St Louis" w. Bob Russell m. John Benson Brooks
• "You Can't Be True, Dear" w.(Eng) Hal Cotton (Ger) Gerhard Ebeler m. Hans Otten
• "You Say The Nicest Things, Baby" w. Harold Adamson m. Jimmy McHugh
• "You Was" w. Paul Francis Webster m. Sonny Burke
• "You're All I Want For Christmas" w.m. Glen Moore & Seger Ellis
• "You're Breaking My Heart" w.m. Pat Genaro & Sunny Skylar

Classical music

• George Antheil — Violin Sonata No. 4; String Quartet No. 3
• Pierre Boulez — Piano Sonata No. 2
• Havergal Brian — Symphony No. 7
• John Cage — Suite for Toy Piano
• Elliott Carter — Cello Sonata
• Aaron Copland — Red Pony Suite; Clarinet Concerto
• George Crumb — Alleluja for unaccompanied chorus
• Einar Englund — Symphony No. 2 Blackbird
• Ross Lee Finney — String Quartet No. 5
• Vagn Holmboe — Concerto No. 11 for trumpet and orchestra (his only trumpet concerto, but once called Chamber Concerto No. 11 because of its scoring)
• Dmitri Kabalevsky — Violin Concerto in C major
• Bohuslav Martinů — Piano Concerto No. 3; The Strangler (ballet)
• Nikolai Myaskovsky — Cello Sonata No. 2
• Andrzej Panufnik — Symphony No. 1 Sinfonia Rustica
• Francis Poulenc — Sonate pour violoncelle et piano, Op. 143 (1948)
• Sergei Prokofiev — The Story of a Real Man (opera, completed this year)
• Alan Rawsthorne — Violin Concerto No. 1
• Pierre Schaeffer — Étude aux chemins de fer
• William Schuman — Symphony No. 6
• Harold Shapero - Symphony for Classical Orchestra
• Dmitri Shostakovich — From Jewish Folk Poetry (song cycle)
• Richard Strauss — Four Last Songs
• Igor Stravinsky — Mass for Chorus and Double Wind Quintet
• Eduard Tubin — Double Bass Concerto
• Henning Wellejus — Violin Concerto in A minor

Opera

• Arthur Bliss - The Olympians
• Norman Demuth - Le Flambeau

Musical theater

• A La Carte London production
• As the Girls Go Broadway production
• Bob's Your Uncle (Frank Eyton & Noel Gay) London production opened at the Saville Theatre on May 5 and ran for 363 performances
• The Boltons Revue London production
• Cage Me a Peacock (Music: Eve Lynd Lyrics: Adam Leslie Book: Noel Langley) London production opened at the Strand Theatre on June 18 and ran for 337 performances
• Caribbean Rhapsody London production
• Carissima London production opened at the Palace Theatre on March 10 and ran for 488 performances
• Down in the Valley Broadway production
• High Button Shoes (Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn) - London production opened at the Hippodrome on December 22 and ran for 291 performances
• Inside U.S.A. Broadway production
• The Kid from Stratford London production opened at the Prince's Theatre on September 30 and ran for 235 performances
• Kiss Me, Kate (Cole Porter) - Broadway production opened on December 30 at the New Century Theatre and ran for 1077 performances
• Lend an Ear Broadway production
• Look Ma, I'm Dancin'! Broadway production
• Love Life Broadway production
• Maid to Measure London revue opened at the Cambridge Theatre on May 20. Starring Jessie Matthews, Tommy Fields, Joan Heal and Lew Parker.
• Magdalena Broadway production
• Make Mine Manhattan Broadway production
• Moonshine New Haven production
• My Romance (Sigmund Romberg and Rowland Leigh) opened at the Shubert Theatre on October 19, transferred to the Adelphi Theatre (New York) on December 7 and ran for a total of 95 performances
• Oranges And Lemons London production
• Slings And Arrows London production
• That's The Ticket Broadway production
• Where's Charley? Broadway production opened on October 11 at the St. James Theatre and ran for 792 performances

Musical films

• April Showers starring Ann Sothern, Jack Carson, Robert Alda and S. Z. Sakall. Directed by James V. Kern.
• Are You With It? starring Donald O'Connor, Olga San Juan and Martha Stewart. Directed by Jack Hively.
• La Belle Meuniere
• Big City
• Bill and Coo
• Casbah starring Yvonne DeCarlo and Tony Martin.
• A Date with Judy starring Wallace Beery, Jane Powell and Elizabeth Taylor. Directed by Richard Thorpe.
• Deux Amours
• Easter Parade starring Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Peter Lawford and Ann Miller. Directed by Charles Walter.
• The Emperor Waltz starring Bing Crosby, Joan Fontaine, Roland Culver, Richard Haydn and Lucille Watson. Directed by Billy Wilder.
• Fandango
• For the Love of Mary
• A Foreign Affair
• Give My Regards to Broadway
• Glamour Girl starring Virginia Grey and Gene Krupa & his Band. Directed by Arthur Dreifuss.
• The Glass Mountain
• If You Knew Susie
• The Kissing Bandit
• Ladies of the Chorus starring Adele Jergens and Marilyn Monroe
• Lulu Belle
• Luxury Liner
• Martin Block's Musical Merry Go Round
• Mary Lou
• Melody Time animated film including Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill
• Mexican Hayride
• Mickey
• A Miracle Can Happen
• The Miracle Of The Bells
• Music Man
• On an Island with You starring Esther Williams, Peter Lawford and Jimmy Durante. Directed by Richard Thorpe.
• One Night With You
• One Sunday Afternoon starring Dennis Morgan and Janis Paige
• One Touch Of Venus released August, starring Ava Gardner, Robert Walker and Dick Haymes.
• The Paleface starring Bob Hope and Jane Russell
• The Pirate
• Rachel and the Stranger
• Romance on the High Seas
• So Dear to My Heart
• A Song Is Born starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo and Benny Goodman
• Summer Holiday released on April 16 starring Mickey Rooney and Gloria DeHaven
• That Lady in Ermine starring Betty Grable and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
• Three Daring Daughters
• Two Guys From Texas
• Up In Central Park starring Deanna Durbin, Dick Haymes and Vincent Price. Directed by William Seiter.
• When My Baby Smiles At Me starring Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, June Havoc, Jack Oakie, James Gleason and Richard Arlen. Directed by Walter Lang.
• Words and Music
• You Were Meant for Me starring Jeanne Crain, Dan Dailey and Oscar Levant. Directed by Lloyd Bacon.

Births

• January 7 - Kenny Loggins, singer and songwriter
• January 8 - Paul King (Mungo Jerry)
• January 10 - Donald Fagen, singer and songwriter (Steely Dan)
• January 14 - T-Bone Burnett, record producer, artist
• January 15 - Ronnie Van Zant, singer (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 1977)
• January 16 - John Carpenter, film-maker and composer
• January 17 - Mick Taylor, guitarist (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Rolling Stones)
• January 23 - Anita Pointer (The Pointer Sisters)
• January 26 - Corky Laing (Mountain)
• February 1 - Rick James, singer, songwriter and record producer (d. 2004)
• February 2 - Al McKay (Earth, Wind & Fire)
• February 4 - Alice Cooper, entertainer
• February 5
  • David Denny (Steve Miller Band)
  • Christopher Guest, actor, musician (This Is Spinal Tap)
• February 8 - Ron Tyson, The Temptations
• February 19 - Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath
• March 2 - Rory Gallagher
• March 4 - Chris Squire, Yes, The Syn
• March 5
  • Eddy Grant, singer and songwriter
  • Richard Hickox, conductor
• March 8 - Little Peggy March
• March 9
  • Jeffrey Osborne, singer and songwriter
  • Jimmie Fadden, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• March 12 - James Taylor, singer-songwriter
• March 17 - Fran Byrne (Ace)
• March 22
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer
  • Randy Hobbs (The McCoys)
• March 24 - Lee Oskar (War)
• March 25 - Michael Stanley, singer-songwriter and DJ
• March 26
  • Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
  • Richard Tandy (Electric Light Orchestra)
• March 28
  • John Evans (Jethro Tull)
  • Milan Williams (Commodores)
• March 30 - Jim Dandy (Black Oak Arkansas)
• April 1
  • Jimmy Cliff, reggae singer
  • Simon Crowe (The Boomtown Rats)
• April 4
  • Pick Withers (Dire Straits)
  • Berry Oakley, The Allman Brothers Band
• April 7 - John Oates, Hall & Oates
• April 9
  • Chico Ryan (Sha Na Na)
  • Phil Wright (Paper Lace)
• April 17 - Jan Hammer, composer, pianist and keyboardist
• April 20 - Craig Frost (Grand Funk Railroad)
• April 21 - Paul Davis, singer (d. 2008)
• April 27 - Kate Pierson, The B-52's
• April 30 - Wayne Kramer, MC5
• May 2 - Larry Gatlin, country singer
• May 5 - Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)
• May 6 - Mary MacGregor, singer
• May 12
  • Ivan Kral, guitarist for Patti Smith Group
  • Steve Winwood, R&B singer (Blind Faith)
• May 15 - Brian Eno, synthesizer virtuoso and composer
• May 17 - Bill Bruford, Yes, King Crimson
• May 19 - Tom Scott
• May 21 - Leo Sayer, singer-songwriter
• May 24 - Ernst Jansz (Doe Maar)
• May 25 - Klaus Meine, Scorpions
• May 26 - Stevie Nicks, singer
• May 27 - Pete Sears Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna
• May 29 - Michael Berkeley, composer and broadcaster
• May 31 - John Bonham, Led Zeppelin
• June 20 - Alan Longmuir, Bay City Rollers
• June 21 - Joey Molland, Badfinger
• June 22 - Todd Rundgren, singer and producer
• June 24 - Patrick Moraz, Yes, The Moody Blues
• June 29 - Ian Paice, Deep Purple
• July 3 - Paul Barrere, Little Feat
• July 4 - Jeremy Spencer, Fleetwood Mac
• July 7 - Larry Rheinhardt, Iron Butterfly
• July 12 - Walter Egan, rock musician
• July 18 - Philip Harris, Ace
• July 19 - Keith Godchaux, Grateful Dead
• July 21 - Cat Stevens, singer-songwriter
• July 25 - Steve Goodman, folk singer-songwriter (d. 1984)
• August 8 - Andy Fairweather-Low, singer (Amen Corner)
• August 10 - Patti Austin
• August 12 - Tony Santini, Sha Na Na
• August 13 - Kathleen Battle, opera singer
• August 16 - Barry Hay (Golden Earring)
• August 19
  • Susan Jacks, pop singer
  • Elliot Lurie, Looking Glass
• August 20 - Robert Plant, singer (Led Zeppelin)
• August 24 - Jean Michel Jarre, composer
• August 28 - Daniel Seraphine, Chicago
• September 3 - Don Brewer, Grand Funk Railroad
• September 6 - Claydes Smith, Kool & the Gang
• September 11 - John Martyn
• September 13 - Nell Carter, US singer and actress
• September 16 - Kenny Jones, drummer (The Faces, The Who)
• September 26 - Olivia Newton-John, singer and actress
• September 29 - Mark Farner (Terry Knight and the Pack, Grand Funk Railroad)
• October 1 - Cub Koda (Brownsville Station)
• October 5 - Delroy Wilson, reggae artist (d. 1995)
• October 8 - Johnny Ramone, guitarist (Ramones) (d. 2004)
• October 10 - Cyril Neville, The Neville Brothers
• October 15 - Chris de Burgh, singer and songwriter
• October 28
  • Rick Reynolds (Black Oak Arkansas)
  • Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando and Dawn)
• November 3 - Lulu, singer and actress
• November 6
  • Glenn Frey (Eagles)
  • George Young, The Easybeats
  • Rushton Moreve, Steppenwolf
• November 16 - Robert John "Mutt" Lange, record producer
• November 21 - Lonnie Jordan (War)
• November 22 - Dennis Larden (Every Mother's Son)
• December 1 - Eric Bloom (Blue Öyster Cult)
• December 3 - Ozzy Osbourne, rock singer
• December 4 - John Lyon (Southside Johnny)
• December 10 - Jessica Cleaves, The Friends of Distinction
• December 13
  • Jeff Skunk Baxter, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan
  • Ted Nugent
• December 17 - Jim Bonfanti, Raspberries
• December 20 - Stevie Wright, The Easybeats
• December 23 - Jim Ferguson, American guitarist, composer, author, educator, and music journalist
• December 25 - Barbara Mandrell
• December 28 - Larry Byrom, Steppenwolf
• December 31 - Donna Summer, soul and discosinger

Deaths

• January 8 - Richard Tauber, operatic tenor, 56 (lung cancer)
• January 15 - Jack Guthrie, popular singer, 32 (tuberculosis)
• January 21 - Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, composer of comic operas, 72
• January 26 - Ignaz Friedman, pianist and composer
• February 21 - Frederic Lamond, pianist
• April 21 - Carlos López Buchardo, composer
• April 24 - Manuel Maria Ponce, composer
• April 25 - Fritz Crome, composer and music writer
• May 17
  • Olga Samaroff, pianist and music critic
  • David Evans, composer
• June 1 - José Vianna da Motta, pianist and composer
• June 6 - Henrik Lund, lyricist
• June 17 - Beryl Wallace, singer, dancer and actress
• June 20 - George Frederick Boyle, composer, 61
• June 27 - George Templeton Strong, composer
• August 10
  • Lucille Bogan, blues singer, 51
  • Emmy Hennings, cabaret performer
• August 13 - Elaine Hammerstein, Broadway star, 51 (car accident)
• August 20 - David John de Lloyd, composer
• September 3 - Mutt Carey, jazz trumpeter
• September 12 - Rupert D'Oyly Carte, impresario, 70
• September 15 - Vernon Dalhart, US singer, 65
• October 10 - Mary Eaton, dancer, 47 (liver failure)
• October 24 - Franz Lehár, composer, 78
• November 12 - Umberto Giordano, composer, 81
• December 2 - Chano Pozo, percussionist, 33 (murdered)
• December 5 - Kerry Mills, US violinist and songwriter, 79
• December 14 - R. O. Morris, British composer and teacher, 62
• December 18 - William Arms Fisher, music historian, 87
• December 22 - Donald Brian, actor, dancer and singer
• date unknown - Boris Fomin, Russian folk composer (b. 1900)